Orienting apparatus



Patented May 13, 1947 ORIENTING APPARATUS Charles H. Schadel, Houston, Tex., assignor of one-half to Eastman Oil Well Survey Company, Dallas, Tex., a corporation of Delaware, and one-half to Eastman Oil Well Survey Corporation,.Long Beach, Calif., a corporation of California Original application November 23, 1942, Serial No. 466,708. Divided and this application August 28, 1944, Serial No. 551,568

2 Claims.

This intention relates to new and useful improvements in orienting apparatus.

This application is filed as a division of my copending application, Serial No. 466,708, filed November 23, 1942, now Patent No. 2,405,717, issued February 15, 1946. I

One object of the invention is to provide an improved and-exceptionally simple apparatus for orienting a well tool or device, such as a whipstock within a well bore, whereby said tool may be located in a predetermined or desired position in said bore.

An important object of the invention is to provide an improved orienting apparatus which employs a soft impression disk or record, said disk being adapted to receive a double marking or indication; one of said indications beingrepresentative of the position of the well tool to be oriented and the other of said indications being representativeof the position of the low side of the well bore, whereby the exact location or direction of said toolmay be ascertained.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved orienting apparatus, of the character described, including an indicating instrument comprising telescoping sections, one of which carries the impression disk and the other of which has a marking plumb bob secured thereto, whereby when the sections are telescoped toward each other the plumb bob marks the disk to indicate the position of the low side of the well bore.

A further object of the invention is to provide an orienting apparatus having a marking element, which is representative of the position of the tool to be oriented, disposed within the drill pipe and also having an instrument provided with an impression disk, said disk forming the lower end of the instrument whereby the bottom of the disk is engageable with and adapted to be marked by the marking element within the drill stem, while the upper surface of said disk is arranged to be marked by the gravity actuated marking means Within said instrument; the arrangement providing for dual marking of the single disk whereby interpretation of the indications is facilitated.

The construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein an example of the invention is shown,

and wherein:

Figure 3 is a plan view of the impression diskafter marking, and

Figure 4 is a bottom view of said disk. In carrying out the present invention, it is -first necessary to make a directional survey of the bore hole at the point at which the tool is to be set so as to determine the direction of inclination of the hole at such point. This may be done by any suitable instrument either a gyroscopic or a magnetic instrument and such instrument may be lowered into the well bore on a wire line or cable for the purpose of making the initial survey. An instrument, which is generally known to the trade as a single shot surveying instrument may be employed. By means of the instrument, the degree of inclinationor deviation from the vertical, as well as the direction of such inclination may be determined. For example, the instrument may show that the bore hole inclines N. 75 E., or it may show any other reading in accordance with the inclination and direction of the well bore.

After this inclination is obtained by the initial directional survey of the well bore A by any suitable instrument, the drill stem or pipe l0 (Figure 1) is lowered into said well bore. An elongate cylindrical sub II is coupled to the lower end of the drill stem or pipe by means of a suitable coupling collar or tool joint l2. A drill bit I3 is screw-threaded onto the lower end of the sub II, the bit being illustrated as a drag bit although it may be of any suitable type. With this arrangement, it will be obvious that the sub II is interposed between the lower end of the drill stem or pipe Ill and the drill bit I3. A whipstock M, or other well device to be oriented, is adapted tovbe connected to the sub and includes a collar I5 which is preferably made integral with its upper end. The collar encircles the lower portion of the sub ll, being secured to said sub by means of a shear pin Hi. It is noted that the shear pin is preferably located in vertical alignment with the angular face I la of the whipstock. When the drill stem or pipe I0 is lowHed through the well bore A, it will be obvious that the whipstock, as well as the drill bit, are lowered therewith. A rotation of the drill stem or pipe will impart a rotation to the whipstock whereby said whipstock will be oriented in the hole in the desired manner so' that thewhipstock-face Ma will be directed in: a predetermined direction. After the shear pin I5 has been broken, the drill bit I3, sub II and drill pipe I may be moved downwardly through the collar I of-the 'Whip stock and upon such movement, the bit'la' is guided by the angular face of saidwhipsto'ck. r-It is noted that this construction, above described, is general practice and formsno-partofthe"present invention.

Manifestly, when the drill "pipe having the whipstock attached thereto is lowered through the well bore A and finallyrea'chesthe position:

at which said whipstock isto -be'set'; the direction or position in which the face I la of said whipstock is directed is not known. In order to continue drilling in the desired direction it is first ..necessar to determine'the location of the whip- "s tock race and to then' orient the Whipstock into '[the de'sirdfp'osition. For determining'the'posii-ti'on or location of the whipstockf'ace I4a: aninstmmenns is' arranged tobe"mounted"within the bore of the sub II. jpbrted withinthe bore'ofithe sub upon'anannu- ""lar sh'oul'oler' 11 "(FigureT2). The 'should'er'l'l is formed with aprojectionbr lug"l8'whichhas a pointed upper end. The lug is" locatedin a predetermined or known position with"'respect to .the face I 4a of the 'whipsto'ek' which is attached to "the sub I I. As illustrated; the "mg "I 8 is dis- .f posed '180de'greesopposite *the -shear pm I 6 .and'is *urerefere representative of'the direction in'which "the inclined surface I la of 'the whipstock faces.

6 The inStrum'entB' "comprisesan upper" section "I 9whibh" has a'fishihg neck or"shank ifl'pr'eferably'm'ade' integral with its u'pper end. A'"head "2| at the"u1) per' end of the "shank'is enlarged with respect to the -shankwherebyan annular- ShOulder-"ZZ is"formed."-The upper portion'bf the "section .I sis'solid "in eross section while 'thelower portionis tubularas illustrated ems. "'Ihe'tu'bu- "larj: portion'2 3 has itsouter surface reduced "in "diameter "whereby an "external "'shoulder" '24 is within a" longitudinal 'slot"30 in the lower section.

The upper section -I 9 is constantly urged-up- "'wardly with respect'to the'lowersectionby a coil "spring 3I' which"surroun'ds the section"'l9"and which iscon'fined between 'theexternalsnoulder 2 4" andthe upper edge of the section "28. The

fspring normally holds thepa'rts'in apositionwith itheu'pperedgenf the" slot 30 engaging the pin 29 of the'sction 5| 9.

An'irn'pression' plate or disk 32 closes the lower end of "the-lower section "28* and is maintained in "position by aretaining Ting 33 which'is'secured to "thesection '28 "bydemovable'retainingscrews 34. :Thisdiskis adapted tdengagefihemalrking "lugj' "I 8' of 'thesuppo1fting shoulder I I; suchtengagenrent occurring when the instrument "is in The instrument 'is sup- 4 serted into the sub II. The upper surface of the disk 32 is normally spaced from the lower pointed end of" the plumb bob Hphowever, when the -.upper -se'ction l9 of the ainstrument .a-is moved 5 downwardly with respect to the lower section, the =.-plumb bob 25 is moved into engagement with the -clisk'32, whereby the upper surface of said disk "is marked to indicate the low side of the well bore.

'1 he bperationirof the device is obvious. The ihstrument B' 'is preferably inserted within the 'sub prior'tdlowering of the drill stem into the "w'e'l1*-bore. "Upon:insertion, the impression disk 32 of saidunstrument is engaged with the lug 2 ever: the supporting shoulder I'I, whereby said lug 'forms ariiindentation or mark M in the lower Serra-cent -the disk. As explained, the lug bears a known angular relation to the direction in which the whipstock face is disposed and thus the mark M on the disk is representative of the position or location of saidwhip'sto'ck face. The drill stem is then' lowered through the-wellbore untilitreachesthposition at"which itis"to be set.

' The parts are p'errnitted'to remain at rest for a sufficient length of time toallow theplumdbob '25 to fall-to-the low side' of the wellb'ore. Asuitable-jarring device is therr'l'oweredthrough the drill stem and a" downward jar is imposed upon my-the 'head- 2 I' at the upper'end' 'of the instrument.

"-Such downward -jar will cause the upper'section to be moved downwardl with respect'tothe lower section, such downward rnovem'ent beingperrriitted bywo'm'pression of "the eoil'spring 21, "As the uppersec'tion further "telescopes 'the=- lower section the pointed end bftheplumb=-bob engages "the upper surface ofthedisk 32 to form amark or'indic'ation' I;'soichindication'being representative of thelow side" of thewell-bore. "The 'instrument'is then removed from -the well by-means-of asuitable fishing tool (not'shown) whichis"en'gaged" with" the shoulder "22"0i the "head 2 I aftertvhichthe disk 321s: removed trom said instrument. "The* removal of"the"'disk"is 5' accomplishedbyremoving"theretaining screws 34' which-hold aretainingring 'u in" place. By "noting" the"p'o'sition""of thei'marks Iand: Mfon "opposite'sides -ofthehlislr and by determiningthe angular relationship be one to'the otherit'is p'ossibletofdfinitelyi ascertain the position of the "whipsto'ck face. The preliminary surveyfi'whibh is made prior to lowering of .the orienting appa- '"ratushas advisedlthexoperator "of'thei direction in "Whictf the'Wellb'clr is inclining at'fthe" elevation "-of"setting Of the wnipste'ck. It isfof course,

known that; the indication I which? represents "the low sideiof 'the' well. time is" 180' degrees foipposite the direction of inclinatiorrfof' the bore 'and thus the actual direction*'of the indicatiorf I is known-to theo'perator. By'determi'ning"the an- "g'ular difference Between thelocati'orrofthermark and the"indic'ation I "thetrue 'dil'cti'on'iln *whi ch'the tvnips'mekisraemgmay be determined. *After' this" determination, the drilkp'ipe'may be rotated to properly orient the whipsto'ck inthe "desired direction.

The device is simple in construction'andeomf'prises aminimum number or parts. Thesingle disk receivesboth indications or markstvher'eby 7 a single record having a do'uhle marking isp'ro- 'duced. *Sin'cethelug '18isfixed in aknown'positionwith respect tothe whipstock 'f-a'ce there is no'chanceofdnisalignment of this lug. Although it is" desirable 'to lower 'the instrumentwithihe drill stem it would be possible to"firstrurf the drill stem and then lower the instrument by means of a fishing tool which tool is ordinarily used for removing said instrument after the record is made. The plumb bob may be made sufficiently heavy to assure an accurate indication of inclination and also to assure definite marking of the upper surface of the disk.

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory thereof and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An orienting apparatus for a deflecting tool to be oriented including, a-drill pipe, a deflecting tool connected to the lower end of said pipe, an inclination indicating instrument adapted to be removably supported in the drill pipe, said instrument comprising an upper tubular section, a lower tubular section telescoping the upper section, an impression record element closing the lower end of the lower section, marking means responsive to gravity mounted in the upper section and normally spaced from said record element and arranged to move into engagement therewith to mark the element to indicate the low side of the well bore when the sections are further telescoped toward each other, the sections being moved toward each other to perform the marking operation by the imposition of a downward jar on the upper end of the instrument, and a marking projection within the drill stem for engaging and marking the underside of the record element, said projection supporting said instrument within the drill pipe and being representative of the position or direction of the deflecting tool, whereby said mark may be correlated with the mark on the upper surface of the element to locate the azimuthal position of said tool.

2. An orienting apparatus for a deflecting tool I to be oriented including, a drill pipe, a deflecting tool connected to the lower end of said drill pipe, an inclination indicating instrument adapted to be removably supported in the drill pipe, said instrument comprising an upper tubular section, a lower tubular section telescoping the upper section, an impression record element closing the lower end of the lower section, marking means responsive to gravity mounted in the upper section and normally spaced from said record element and arranged to move into contact therewith to mark the element to indicate the low side of the well bore when the sections are further telescoped toward each other, and marking means within the drill pipe for engaging and marking the underside of the record element when the instrument is supported within the drill pipe, said marking means within the drill pipe bearing a known angular relationship to the deflecting tool.

CHARLES H. SCHADEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,173,745 Hoard Sept. 19, 1939 1,895,615 Elliott Jan. 31, 1933 1,918,448 Box July 18, 1933 1,903,512 McLaughlin Apr. 11, 1933 2,109,853 Straatman Mar. 1, 1938 2,246,417 Smith June 1'7, 1941 1,981,665 Rieber Nov. 20, 1934 2,100,418 Welikanov Nov. 30, 1937 2,282,431 Smith May 12, 1942 2,301,307 McMahan Nov. 10, 1942. 

